Cranberry-picker



(Nro Model.)

D. LUMBERT.

GRANBERRY PICKER.

No. 433,179. Patented July 29, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL LUMBERT, OF CENTREVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CRANBERRY-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,179, dated July 29,1890.

Application filed November 21, 1889. Serial No. 331,124. (No model.)

T0,aZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, DANIEL LUMBERT, of Centreville, in the county ofBarnstable and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Cranberry- Pickers; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, making a part of this speciication.

My invention has for its object to improve and perfect the movablestripping-frame for holding the vines upon the fork in acranberry-gathering machine; and it consists in the novel constructionof the frame, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis an elevationV in perspective ofmy improved cranberry-picker, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical sectionthereof in line .r .r of Fig. l.

The machine is constructed, as usual, of a gatheringreceptacleconstructed of a rear plate A, two side plates l5 I3, proj ectingtherefrom, and a series of parallel rods C C, likewise projecting to thefront from the lower portion of the rear plate and in the plane of thelower edges of the side plates. These parallel rods are made of aboutthe same length as the side plates and constitute not only an openbottom for the receptacle, but also a gathering-fork to be pushed inbetween the cranberryvines under the berries to facilitate strippingthem therefrom.

The stripping-frame, by which the vines caught by the fork are preventedfrom slipping oit of it at the front, is constructed of twocomparatively short side pieces D D, pivoted upon pivot-pins E E attheir inner ends, cach to and against the inner face of one of the sideplates B of the receptacle forward of the middle of its length and nearto the upper edge of the plate, as shown in Fig. l, and which areconnected at each end by transverse top bars F and G. The front ends ofthese connected side pieces D D of the strip` ping-1. rame are made of awidth equal to that of the side plates l5 B of the receptacle, and thepieces are so proportioned in lengt-h as that when swung down upon theirpivots, so as to bring their upper edges in a horizontal positioncoincident with the upper edges of said side plates, their front endsshall likewise coincide with the front ends of the side plates.

The lower edge of each side piece D is cut away from a point at g nearits front end (see Fig. 2) to the upper rear end thereof in a d1- agonalline imparting a triangular form to the piece, which will prevent anyobstruction thereby to the movement ot the gatherer as it is forced intothe vines.

The stripping-frame is completed and the front of thegathering-receptacle is closed when the frame is depressed by means of aseries of wide rectangular wire loops H H, de-

pending from the front cross-bar G near to i its inner edge, of a lengthto reach the level of the rods of the gathering-fork when thestripping-frame is depressed and in position to nearly touch their freeouter ends, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. These loops areplaced closely one to another in the same right line, and are eachiitted with a number (preferably three) ot`- wire guards K K, which aremade to project out from the lower member of each to the plane of thefront ends of the side plates B B of the gathering-frame, and are thenbent up parallel with the loops to the top thereof and there bent backtoward the crossbar G, to whose front edge their upper ends are secured.

.Preferably the two end loops Il Il in the series are guarded bysheet-metal plates L L, (see Fig. l,) bent and secured in the samemanner as the wire guards K K. These guarded wire loops, which thus formthe front end of the stripping-frame and close the front end of thegathcling-receptacle when the stripper is depressed, facilitate thedetachment of the berries from the vines caught in the gatherer.

Themachineisprovided,as usual,withahan dle M, extending forward fromthe' rear plate A (to which it is preferably made fast by means of awire bracket M) centrally over the gathering-receptacle to about themiddle thereof, where it is supported by a wire stay or bracerod N,extending from its front and back to the lower portion of the rearplate, as shown in Fig.

rlhe stri pping-frame is automatically lifted to open thegathering-receptacle and clear its fork by means of a spiral spring O,extended from the front end of the handle M to the middle of the frontcross-bar G of the frame.

IOO

It is depressed to close the reeeptaole by means of a depressing-leverP, pivoted at its rear end to the upper edge of the rear plate A, andextending thence diagonally to and through a staple R at the middle ofthe length of the crossbar G.

The movement of the depressing-lever is readily produced by the thumb ofthe hand grasping the handle M, and a button S is placed upon the bar tofacilitate the pressure ot the thumb thereon.

The top of the receptacle at the rear of the stripper may he Closed by acover T, of suitable material, extended from the upper edge of the rearplate A to a transverse rod W, fitted in the top part of the receptaclein front of the stay-rod N of the handle.

The front ends of the side plates B B may be fitted with circular disksU Uto facilitate the movement of the machine underthe vines to bestripped.

I claim as my invention- The combination, in a cranberry-picker,substantially as described, and with the front bar of its movablestripper, of a Series of wire loops dependent from said bar, eachguarded by parallel wires secured to the bar and to the lower member ofthe loop to project therefrom to the front, substantially in the mannerand for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

DANIEL LUMBERT. Witnesses:

GEO. H. I-IINCKLEY, HARRIE F. LUMBERT.

